Private NJO Council Meeting

[Valery Noble]

876 ABY - NJO Council Meeting
Era of Reclamation​

Zark San Tekka | Valery Noble | Asmundr Varobalder | Dagon Kaze​

The Era of Reclamation has begun.

The Galactic Alliance has initiated its new campaign to liberate the core with a first move against Maw-held Empress Teta, but this is only the beginning. With the help of the NJO, the Maw Corridor has been destabilized at Batorine, but each individual world held by the enemy will still be a challenge to liberate. The cooperation between Jedi and the Alliance is thus more crucial than ever before, and so the onset of this new campaign will also require leaders to come together to discuss the future.

Now, with the return of Zark San Tekka from the heart of Maw space, the Council can finally meet again to welcome him back into their ranks, and to hold a meeting with all present.

Decisions have to be made, and perhaps a glimpse into the future will help them guide the Jedi into better times.

 

[Asmundr Varobalder]

THE WARDEN
THE NEW JEDI ORDER | CORUSCANT | REBUILT CORUSCANT TEMPLE | COUNCIL CHAMBERS

"Sun and Stars." Asmundr beamed, gripping Zark's hand a little too tightly in the official welcome back handshake.

The colossal Master was exuberant that the light he'd felt of Zark's had not extinguished across the borders and after the trying times of Tython. All he could have hoped was for his dear friend's survival. He got that, and more. And because of that, he wore an unshakeable smile, even in the midst of the forthcoming conversation.

He'd seen it. What they were to discuss.

At least, nuances of the conversation. The announcement. The decisions.

How they reached those outcomes — he subtly glanced in the direction of Master Noble — he left unexplored.

He took a seat, rest his elbows on his knees, and leaned into steepled fingers. The glint in his golden eyes flared as he initiated the dialogue.

"Empress Teta was a success, but a victory for The Alliance was not the only outcome.

My circle of Seers and myself have felt a seeping from the opening of The Corridor that we seek to close The Brotherhood's tactics are changing. Their new leader, Darth Mori, seems to be bleeding units into The Core to soften the loss of Empress Teta. We must be wary not to put The Core in further jeopardy.

Master Noble, you encountered The Dark Voice. What can you tell us about The New Sith Order's new leader?

And Master San Tekka, what you saw on Lao-Mon...was there anything from your and Master Ridor's experience that we can use and learn from?"

---

Valery Noble | Dagon Kaze | Zark San Tekka

 

[Valery Noble]

Outfit | Weapon | Appearance

Location: Coruscant | Jedi Temple
Theme: Link

With a soft but audible sigh, Valery settled into her chair and tried her best to be comfortable. The fight on Empress Teta had been tough on the body, and she didn't particularly like sitting in bacta tanks too long. Especially not now, at the start of a new campaign that demanded the focus and coordination of all Jedi. But knowing so many had sacrificed so much made a little discomfort much easier to accept.

Looking up, Valery finally smiled as Asmundr welcomed back Zark with a firm handshake. She hadn't seen the Jedi Master in quite some time, but she was relieved to learn that he had found his way back from the depths of Maw space. These were the little moments between the heavy battles that allowed her and many others to always keep going. "It's good to have you back, Master San Tekka," Valery added with a dip of her head while she waited for everybody to get settled.

But rather quickly, her fiery eyes were drawn to Asmundr, who initiated the meeting. He reminded her much of the old Seers she used to know — wise and calm, even when glimpses of the future showed terrible things, but also very kind and compassionate. A true Jedi in her opinion.

"You're right about their plans, and they undoubtedly stem from their leader. The new Dark Lord cares nothing about Empress Teta or the other Core worlds still in their grasp. They were a means to an end; a platform to reach Tython. But they know how important it is for us to liberate these worlds, and they will make the cost of it as high as they can, even if they know their corridor is unsustainable," Valery began before she leaned forward in her seat and recalled the memories of her clash with the Dark Lord.

"Going into my fight with the Dark Voice, I knew she would be different, and that her tactics were unorthodox. But during my clash, I pushed her and awakened a beast buried deep inside that she hadn't exposed before. If there was any humanity left in her, it's gone now. Much like Kyrel Ren, who I fought on Tython, she's a void in the Force, but... different. Kyrel has a purpose, a hunger he's trying to satiate. There is no purpose to her void, and it makes her far less predictable, yet still very dangerous."

"To even just stand close requires great strength and resistance against her siphoning corruption. So taking her down will be no easy feat, but it's something I'm still committed to. For us to overcome her and the Maw, we will have to push ourselves even further, and guide our fellow Jedi into this heated conflict."

"Which is why we're here today." She offered Asmundr a brief smile and dipped her head to the other Jedi before she sat back into her chair and listened to their input.

Asmundr Varobalder | Dagon Kaze | Zark San Tekka ​

 

[Dagon Kaze]

​

"...twelve minutes and thirty-seven seconds... Surik's Blade!! -- that's a new personal record!! Whew..." Dagon pressed a finger on the decrepit wall, the Force surging through his digits as he engraved the numbers from his chronometer. He stepped back to examine all the dusty carvings left behind from years ago. There were about a hundred digits on there in total, grouped in columns starting with a name. Aelys, Rakaan Horne, Dagon, Djonas, Ryv, and half a dozen others; some the Jedi could only discern by memory.

The Temple Run. An obstacle-ridden journey from a dozen levels beneath to the abandoned foundations of the Temple upon which the new one had been built. It was where a number of them had holed up during the Sacking of Coruscant, but most importantly, prior to that tragedy, it had been the gateway from which a number of padawans had slunk in and out of the temple. The Temple Run was the quickest route to the seedy underbelly of the ecumenopolis where they had spent most of their days in 'Jedi business'.

As quick as the route was, it could only be traversed by those gifted with the Force or those of incredible athleticism. Sliding down through ancient maintenance shafts full of punctures and with certain exits literally leading into a plunge to death. Climbing up and down decrepit scaffolds of construction projects abandoned for one reason or the other. Squeezing through unseen gaps between buildings and maneuvering from barely standing rooftops and through long condemned buildings that hid either vile threats or the unseen faces of the downtrodden; each one carrying a destiny that Jedi sought to mend and yet, for each fate restored another dozen broken materialized.

But hope, hope could not be extinguished.

Such was the Jedi's service to the Force.

Such was their vow.

A sullen smile curved the raven-haired Knight's lips at Ryv's last carvings. Twelve minutes and thirty-five seconds. "Always one step ahead, huh?" the first one in and the last one out. But now he was gone, or rather had become one with the Force. The irksome, loud beeping of his alarm dissipated the thick gloom that had befallen the Jedi. Personal record on the Run but still late for the Council's meeting.

"Chit." was all he muttered before he darted upwards towards the rebuilt Temple of the Jedi.

**

By the time he arrived the bittersweet mood of earlier had abated, replaced by the signature, cheerful persona he'd come to be known for prior to the Wars. The job was far from done but the last months had seen the Alliance make strides in their reclamation of the Core and most importantly Jem's redemption had played a large part in restoring his mood. He and his padawan had walked a painful but fulfilling journey of finding their selves.

"Uhh, sorry, had a, uhhh... old lady had issues with her speeder, the traffic you know how it is, hehe." he sheepishly explained his late entry with a plethora of words sown into one incomprehensible excuse. He finished casually wiping the sweat from his face with his shirt and finally looked up to see the gathered. While the positive energy filled the room over Master San Tekka's safe return from the depths of Maw territory, there was an air of solemnness running about that simply made him look like an idiot. And it couldn't be anything less. "I'll, uhh, take my seat -- good to see you in one piece, Master San Tekka." he said, slinking towards his seat and sinking into its backrest.

For the first time in his life among the Jedi, he felt out of his depth. Over the long years of the wars, Dagon had developed into a Jedi Knight of enviable prowess -- a sharp investigative mind in peak physical condition, but the figures around him all carried a certain crown of wisdom gained through extensive experience over a longer period of time.

With a deep breath, the Jedi Knight dispelled the notion, summoning the trademark bravado he often carried himself with. Confidence was rarely in deficit when it came to him.

"Solipsis was an elusive man but this... Mori... they are hardly one to stray off the radar." he mused after hearing Valery's accounts of her clash with the new Dark Voice. If this was the same Sith Dagon had battled and nearly died to during the Sacking of Coruscant... such wound in the Force was impossible not to sense. "... maybe gathering a surgical strike team of Jedi to eliminate her is key to any success to not only reclaiming the Core but disbanding this evil." he held no false beliefs that there was no one among the New Sith Order that would immediately claim the mantle of Dark Lord of the Sith but it could shatter their momentum further as it had occurred with Solipsis' fall.

Valery Noble Asmundr Varobalder Zark San Tekka

 

[Zark San Tekka]

COUNCIL CHAMBERS
Valery Noble Asmundr Varobalder Dagon Kaze

​

Master San Tekka still looked pale. His aurodium arm, a gift from the alchemical forges of Ossus, was replaced with a crude industrial model. More cybernetic organs pumped beneath a simple white tunic embroidered with gold. If he wasn't careful Zark would end up more machine than man. Enough of him remained to speak with the Council. His friends and allies.

"Asmundr..." he murmured, leaning in close to press his forehead against the seer's.

Coruscant's skyline drew his gaze. Decades of war and it remained more or less unchanged. Zark turned back around in time to catch Dagon slouch in his seat. It provoked a small ghost of a smirk from the Jedi Master. His expression only darkened when asked of his trials on Lao-mon. Harrowing memories of the Maw world still plagued San Tekka's thoughts.

"Lao-mon is a barren wasteland, riddled with fire, ash, and dust. The very air you breathe is a poisonous fume. If any Shi'ido remain alive...I cannot say. All we learned in that dark place was the terrible cost of defeat."

Zark took his own seat. He listened to the others speak of Darth Mori with a few introspective strokes of the chin.

"Who will lead this strike team?" the Jedi veteran asked, "It was the Sword's duty, yet Ryv Karis is now one with the Force."

 

[Asmundr Varobalder]

THE WARDEN
THE NEW JEDI ORDER | CORUSCANT | REBUILT CORUSCANT TEMPLE | COUNCIL CHAMBERS

The look Dagon Kaze received from Asmundr was one he'd received many, many, many times in years past. Any token of the tender amusement of some things never change was concealed by the disapproving twist of his lips. Still, it warmed his heart to know that through all the trials Dagon had been through in this war, to his core, he was still the same boy who'd come to him for counsel time and time again.

Valery Noble 's mention of a void unsettled him. It was the explanation for what he'd been seeing he hoped not to hear. He closed his eyes and hmmm'd deeply.

The creases around Asmundr's eyes tightened when Zark San Tekka reflected on Lao-Mon. The human side of Asmundr felt a pain stir in his belly. The inhuman part, the part that was focused solely on gathering knowledge, felt the misfortune of the other Master going through so much and bringing back so little.

"Who will lead this strike team?" the Jedi veteran asked, "It was the Sword's duty, yet Ryv Karis is now one with the Force."

Asmundr nodded sagely and finally opened his eyes.


"The darkness left in Solipsis' wake is deep and terrible. And the void this Mori threatens is a stretching black that makes it difficult to see." He was more aware of his own shortcomings these days and readily informed his council of when to be more patient with his circle of Seers. "However, we have seen a new dawn rising for The Light, ignited at the tip of The Sword."

He nodded to Zark's invitation about who would lead.

"Ryv Karis leaned into his swordship at the dawn of The New Jedi Order. With much sacrifice along the way, he served unquestioningly when his fellow Jedi needed it." The story of Ryv Karis was not unknown, but Asmundr thought it appropriate to lean into some of the details that came with leadership. Mostly for the benefit of his student who now shared a chair in the council chambers — Ryv had been a personal idol and companion for Dagon for a long time. Dagon had gone through similar bouts of suffering as the late Kiffar master, and his heart was emboldened oft' by the deeds done.

But he still held on to that past far too tightly to see the future's needs.

"The Sword's duty remains. It is a demand for a brilliant fire to outshine the depths of darkness from our enemies and illuminate the strength of The New Jedi Order. The commitment is great, and the toll is heavy."

His words stretched into three silent heartbeats. He'd fallen into a moment of reflection. At the time, Ryv Karis had been but a boy. He'd not known he had the chance to reject such a weight on his shoulders.

But they were all wiser now, and in the corner of his golden eye, the distant future sparkled and moved him to make the motion.

"Master Noble, you know of both reward and sacrifice and have been the spark that knows when to start a fire or provide warmth.

I would follow your Sword against The Darkness."

 

[Valery Noble]

Outfit | Weapon | Appearance

Location: Coruscant | Jedi Temple
Theme: Link

Watching Dagon enter the chambers late was hardly surprising, and it was very difficult not to show her amusement through her signature smirk, but she suppressed it for now and greeted her friend with a dip of her head. In a way, he was the reason she was sitting here today — their conversation after she had joined the aftermath on Coruscant had sparked the fire in her to return to the Galactic scene and fight against the Brotherhood of the Maw. So she knew there was always a good heart behind that shit-eating grin he sometimes carried.

Her attention then shifted to Zark after she had given her report on the new Dark Lord, and to hear so few words describe so much loss and darkness regarding Lao-Mon was difficult to fathom, but it further showed the necessity of their current, proactive path against the Maw.

"Solipsis was an elusive man but this... Mori... they are hardly one to stray off the radar."​

Valery nodded, "I agree that she's not quite as elusive, but we have to remain thoughtful about our approach." The Master warned the group of Councilors, "The more we push them away from the core, the more difficult it may be to find her. At the same time, her void isn't the only monster created in recent battles. Shortly before Empress Teta, I clashed with their Shadow Hand, Darth Ptolemis again on Mustafar, and before that on Tython, my partner and I threw their Wrath, Kyrel Ren , down a fiery pit that reshaped him into a hungry void."

"Killing them has proven to be quite tricky, and they have more than just their Dark Lord that we need to worry about. As long as we're not blinded to that reality, I will always remain ready to lead our blades against them."

Leaning back into her chair, Valery remained quiet while Asmundr offered his perspective. The two hadn't interacted a great deal in the past, but his wisdom was undeniable and flowed out with each word he spoke. It really made her miss the Seers she once joined in the Serenity Springs for vision interpretations again.

Ultimately, his words and the story shifted the conversation to an important matter, the core of what all of this was about; leadership. The support Asmundr showed, as well as his motion, brought a soft smile to Valery's lips. For a few years now, she had solidified herself as a leader within the Order, both with her blade on the frontlines as a beacon of light and as a pillar of support at the Temple for all Jedi who needed it.

So there was only one answer she could give.

"It would be my honor to serve the New Jedi Order as its Sword," Valery said with a respectful dip of her head. "Those before me ignited the torch at the start of it all and sacrificed so much to fight against the Dark Side - I will carry it forward to the best of my abilities, for as long as this Council believes in me," she said, her eyes shifting to Dagon and Zark as well, as she valued their opinions immensely.

Asmundr Varobalder Dagon Kaze Zark San Tekka ​

 

[Dagon Kaze]

At the mention of Ryv's name, Dagon's eyes gloomed and shifted towards the ever-moving cityscape of Coruscant as his former master spoke. Speeders and ships in an endless column going somewhere and going nowhere at the same time. Scaffolds wrapped around cloud-piercing skyscrapers, whether repairing what the Maw had destroyed or the usual annual refurbishment project. People hurried to catch a commuter tram to work or back home. Tiny glints of red flashed in the underbelly of Coruscant; a firefight between gangs or a man protecting his only child.

It seemed all the same and all that different at once.
​

He was here, there, and nowhere at all. No one tells you when to run, no one hears the starting gun. And then you run and you run to catch up with the sun but it's sinking. Time twisted and weaved but it never turned back. The past had been buried and torched the day they had lit Ryv ablaze on Concord Dawn.

Standing back up, Dagon approached the rest of the council members. He held his fist forward, blade in hand, and spoke: "Master Noble, you have my blade." he nodded in agreement with Asmundr.

A ray of light blinded him and he squinted in return, and yet the soft smile curving his lips remained. The sun was the same in a relative way but he was older, shorter of breath and one day closer to the Force.

But until then -- his vow to serve the empyrean would remain unbroken.​

Valery Noble Asmundr Varobalder Zark San Tekka

 

[Zark San Tekka]

COUNCIL CHAMBERS
Valery Noble Asmundr Varobalder Dagon Kaze

​

Morning light pierced through clouds, bathing the tower in warm radiance. Master San Tekka's eyes closed. Through meditation he could feel the Force all around them. It bound everything together. Destiny united these Jedi for a reason. Their decisions could have profound consequences. Trust in the will of powers beyond his comprehension guided each action.

"This is a wise choice."

Zark opened his eyes. He sensed Master Noble's powerful connection to the light in that moment.

"No one's ever really gone," San Tekka's gaze passed from the grief-stricken Dagon back to Valery, "Ryv's spirit now lives on in us."

With some discomfort, the recovering Jedi Master hobbled to his feet. Zark held out his blade hilt along with the others. His assent given, the circle was now complete.

"May the Force be with you," he smiled.

 

[Valery Noble]

Outfit | Weapon | Appearance

Location: Coruscant | Jedi Temple
Theme: Link

"Master Noble, you have my blade."

Her fiery gaze shifted to Dagon, who was the first to speak up after Asmundr made the proposal. He felt very different after Ryv was mentioned and the conversation had shifted to something very important. Valery had always known what her close friend was really like beneath the surface, and it was showing more and more often. Perhaps it was time and experience bringing it out, or the war really just changed everybody.

Either way, when she watched his blade ignite, a smile touched her lips.

"This is a wise choice."

Slowly and with some effort, she watched Zark rise moments later, his own lightsaber ignited to show his approval of the decision as well. She nodded to the older Master, who had always felt like the more traditional Jedi within a group of largely younger, less experienced kids fighting against the Dark Side. He had been a pillar of support for them - all of those within this room have been for years, and so their support meant a lot to her.

"Thank you, Councilors, for your trust," Valery began as she stood up and a violet blade ignited from the emitter of her lightsaber. She held it out in unison with the others, so their blades could represent the start of a new path forward. One where the Jedi would fight against the darkness of the Maw, be a shield against the new threat from the Empire, and one where she'd be their Sword to carve the way forward.

"The Force is with us, I can feel it, and I will not rest or find peace until we purged the darkness from this Galaxy." Words chosen with the knowledge that even defeating the Maw would likely not be enough to free the Galaxy of darkness forever. But she could accept that she'd never find peace herself, and take comfort in the fact that her struggles cast a light that allowed others to live a better life.

Asmundr Varobalder Dagon Kaze Zark San Tekka ​